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Good King Wenceslas Looked Out, on the Feast of Stephen.
Seeing as how December 26 is the Feast of Stephen, it seems appropriate that we take some time to look at the background of this old Christmas carol.
Saint Stephen's Day
Date:
26 December (Western)
27 December (Eastern – Gregorian calendar)
9 January (Eastern – Julian calendar)
Frequency: Annual
Related to: Boxing Day (concurrent), Christmastide, Wren Day
Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox churches that adhere to the Julian calendar mark Saint Stephen's Day on 27 December according to that calendar, which places it on 9 January of the Gregorian calendar used in secular contexts. In Latin Christian denominations, Saint Stephen's Day marks the second day of Christmastide.
It is an official public holiday in Alsace-Moselle, Austria, the Balearic Islands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Catalonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, Switzerland and Newfoundland. The date is also a public holiday in those countries that celebrate Boxing Day on the day in addition to or instead of Saint Stephen's Day, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
{snip}
History
A statue of Saint Stephen stands in a Catholic church in Italy dedicated to the martyr.
Saint Stephen's Day is the second day of Christmastide and is celebrated in honour of one of the first Christian martyrs, Saint Stephen, who was stoned to death in 36 AD.
{snip}
Date:
26 December (Western)
27 December (Eastern – Gregorian calendar)
9 January (Eastern – Julian calendar)
Frequency: Annual
Related to: Boxing Day (concurrent), Christmastide, Wren Day
Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox churches that adhere to the Julian calendar mark Saint Stephen's Day on 27 December according to that calendar, which places it on 9 January of the Gregorian calendar used in secular contexts. In Latin Christian denominations, Saint Stephen's Day marks the second day of Christmastide.
It is an official public holiday in Alsace-Moselle, Austria, the Balearic Islands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Catalonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, Switzerland and Newfoundland. The date is also a public holiday in those countries that celebrate Boxing Day on the day in addition to or instead of Saint Stephen's Day, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
{snip}
History
A statue of Saint Stephen stands in a Catholic church in Italy dedicated to the martyr.
Saint Stephen's Day is the second day of Christmastide and is celebrated in honour of one of the first Christian martyrs, Saint Stephen, who was stoned to death in 36 AD.
{snip}
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas, illustrated in Christmas Carols, New and Old
"Good King Wenceslas" (Roud number 24754) is a Christmas carol that tells a story of a Bohemian king (modern-day Czech Republic) who goes on a journey, braving harsh winter weather, to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26, the Second Day of Christmas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907–935), who was not a king but a duke.
In 1853, English hymnwriter John Mason Neale wrote the lyrics in collaboration with his music editor Thomas Helmore to fit the melody of the 13th-century spring carol "Tempus adest floridum" ( "Eastertime Is Come" ), which they had found in the 1582 Finnish song collection Piae Cantiones. The carol first appeared in Carols for Christmas-Tide, published by Novello & Co the same year.
{snip}
Good King Wenceslas, illustrated in Christmas Carols, New and Old
"Good King Wenceslas" (Roud number 24754) is a Christmas carol that tells a story of a Bohemian king (modern-day Czech Republic) who goes on a journey, braving harsh winter weather, to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26, the Second Day of Christmas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907–935), who was not a king but a duke.
In 1853, English hymnwriter John Mason Neale wrote the lyrics in collaboration with his music editor Thomas Helmore to fit the melody of the 13th-century spring carol "Tempus adest floridum" ( "Eastertime Is Come" ), which they had found in the 1582 Finnish song collection Piae Cantiones. The carol first appeared in Carols for Christmas-Tide, published by Novello & Co the same year.
{snip}
Mon Dec 26, 2016: Good King Wenceslas Looked Out, on the Feast of Stephen.
I checked the spelling of "Wenceslas" by looking at a cassette, "Favorite Carols for Christmas," by the Robert Wagner Chorale, SM Capitol 4XL-9002. It's copyrighted 1964, so that's obviously for the LP.
Good King Wenceslas York Minster 1995
405,900 views • Apr 17, 2007
notyobs
5.3K subscribers
Now here's a real treat for you. A very dramatic rendition of this carol which has everything. Thunderous organ, solos, soaring descant.... and the cameras stay with the singers!
405,900 views • Apr 17, 2007
notyobs
5.3K subscribers
Now here's a real treat for you. A very dramatic rendition of this carol which has everything. Thunderous organ, solos, soaring descant.... and the cameras stay with the singers!
It wouldn't be 2020 without the Zoom or Teams version of this, would it?
Good King Wenceslas - The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
13,575 views • Dec 24, 2020
UkuleleOrchestra
140K subscribers
Ukulele Christmas Lockdown 2020, Episode 1
Good King Wenceslas performed by George Hinchliffe's Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain while in isolation.
{snip}
13,575 views • Dec 24, 2020
UkuleleOrchestra
140K subscribers
Ukulele Christmas Lockdown 2020, Episode 1
Good King Wenceslas performed by George Hinchliffe's Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain while in isolation.
{snip}
Finally, there is this version:
Source: http://whirledofkelly.blogspot.com/2009/12/some-early-foot.html
For more on that:
December 2005: The Straight Dope: Pogo Christmas Carols
And this:
December 24, 2013: Walt Kelly’s Christmas
Mon Dec 26, 2022: Good King Wenceslas Looked Out, on the Feast of Stephen.
Sun Dec 26, 2021: Good King Wenceslas Looked Out, on the Feast of Stephen.
Sat Dec 26, 2020: Good King Wenceslas Looked Out, on the Feast of Stephen.
